Tristan Clopet
Tristan Clopet (; born October 8, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter and composer. He has released two EPs and one LP, 2011’s Name It What You Want. Critics have compared Clopet’s earlier funk-infused work to that of The Red Hot Chili Peppers and his vocal style to Jeff Buckley’s. His YouTube series Living Room Sessions, featuring intimate cover performances of artists such as Bon Iver, Nirvana and Adele has received over 1.5 million plays in over 71 different countries.
Early life
Clopet was born in Toronto, Canada, where he lived until moving to Raleigh, North Carolina with his mother and sister at the age of five. He learned to play the piano at this time, and took up the drums and guitar in his teens, playing his first gigs during regular visits to his father in New York City. After graduating high school Clopet studied acting at Uta Hagen’s HB Studio in Greenwich Village, and following short stints at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and the Berklee College of Music he transferred to the University of Miami, which he left in 2009, two semesters short of graduation, to pursue a career in music.
Career
Clopet released his first EP, Duende, in 2009, recording half the songs at his home studio and the other half at Velvet Basement Studios in Miami with his backing band The Juice. Tristan and The Juice supported the album with an 11-city tour and performances at the Florida Grammys, on the CBS Morning Show in South Florida, and made his European debut opening for platinum-selling Scottish singer-songwriter Sandi Thom. At this time Clopet also began regularly recording cover performances in his home studio for his YouTube series Living Room Sessions, which garnered over 600,000 views in its first year.
In January 2010 Clopet released his second EP, Purple. The album was well received by critics, with Consequence of Sound writing “Clopet infuses quick, succinct rhymes with crooning interjections and skilled guitar work.” Purple was supported by another tour, a showcase at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, and opening slots for Grammy winners Inner Circle and Oscar winners The Swell Season.
For Clopet’s debut LP, Name It What You Want, he enlisted the help of producers Raymond Richards (Local Natives) and Justin Gerrish (The Strokes, Vampire Weekend). Partly recorded at Avatar Studios in New York and released in June 2011, Name It What You Want was dubbed the “best indie album of 2011” by Alternative Magazine, who noted that the song “A Chat with My Brain” “solidifies Clopet as king of the catchy choruses.” In a nod to Clopet’s staunch support through social media, the opening song “A Summer in Sussex” features seven of his Facebook friends singing backup vocals. Shortly after the album’s release Clopet was invited to perform at the Pocktoberfest music festival in Yorkshire, England, headlined by British rock singer and activist Billy Bragg.
In January of 2014 Clopet joined Brooklyn-based electro-pop band Great Good Fine Ok, in which he sings backup vocals and plays bass guitar and synthesizer.
Sussex Music House
In November, 2012, Clopet announced his new film and commercial scoring company, Sussex Music House. Based in Brooklyn, New York and with a branch in Los Angeles, California, the company has written music for clients including Old Navy, Meineke Car Care Center and Washington Nationals.
In April, 2013, Clopet scored the short film "Dream Girl" which was officially selected to the Garden State Film Festival.
On September 30, 2013, an opinion piece written by Clopet on "The Potential Resurgence of the Jingle" was published by Advertising Age.
Discography
Duende (2009)
Purple (2010)
Name It What You Want (2011)